Merit Pay for Teachers

The NY Times has an interesting article about paying teachers bonuses based on merit, rather than for seniority. It's an interesting, and I think, compelling system, though I am not fond of using the measuring stick of standardized test scores. I think bonuses should be given for innovative teaching efforts and the development of new curriculum that engages students. Though, admittedly, I think this would be more difficult to administer and measure than standardized test scores, I think it would benefit the students and the school systems for the future.